Series-connected envelopes and method of manufacturing



C. J. REUTER Nov. 1, 1955 SERIES-CONNECTED ENVELOPES AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING Filed Feb. 8, 1952 III IIIllIlllliillililll [An/awry]; QAHENLE ,j fizz/712E ATTURNEY SERIES-CONNECTEDENVELOPESAND METHOD F -MANUFACTI-JR1N G Clarence JrReuter,t-.$pringfield,;'Ill.,.assign0r, by rmesne assignments, to Uarco Incorporated, a corporatiomof Illinois -Applicatiori Febrnary-'-8, 1 952,Se'ri'al No. 2703631 :1. Glaim. (CL 229-69) The invention relates .to '.improvements;.inr-seriesrconnected envelopes and is more particularly;concernedwith -the steps .of the novel, method utilized in fabricating a vstripof novelly constructed series-connected envelopes from-roll stock.

."Practical .use of present types of automatic business machines; suchastypewriters, addressographs, tabulating :"machines; andlike apparatus, requires the useof sheet material in continuous strip form soas to avoid the need for insertion into the machine of individual sheets. I One form of continuous stripsuitable for such use is a strip ofiseries-connected envelopes. In order to facilitate:autoamatic. feeding of the envelope strip through a. machine, rthe strip has its longitudinal marginsformedwith uni- -form ly spaced punching defining feed bands and the feed bands.are separated from. the body of the strip by rows :of; perforations. After a strip of series-connected envelopes has passed through the machine for purposes of imprinting thereon such data as may be desired the feed bands-.are removed and the envelopes are separatedone .from the other along transverse lines of perforations provided for this purpose in the strip assembly.

- Heretofore, series-connected envelopes have been fabricated' from separately punched and perforated strips of :materialone or both ofwhich bears printed matter. Fabricating. envelopes in this mannerrequires'separate .processing and handling of each strip-of material with the consequent high manufacturing costs.

The present invention involves the production of series- ..connected envelope strips directly from rolled stock and nitis one of the objects of the invention to'accomplish .;this result.

Series-connected envelopes of the'character having a ssealingflapand made inaccordance with prior practices :.are of such construction that the sealing flap has a length 2 corresponding to the outsidewidth of the envelope. Con- ;sequently, the sealing flap cannot be tucked intotthe envelope, should it be desired to do so.

Thepresent method renders .itpossible to provide seriesconnected envelopes With tuck-inflaps. This is-.accom- -plishedby die-cutting an-areaof the envelope strip assem- -bly. The die-cut area is, however, left in the stripassembly. until after the strip assembly has passed through the printing machine because removal of these areas prior to .thefeedingof the strip. through the printingmachine or the like would present edges whichwill catch on the machine .mechanism and impair its operation. It is,

v.therefornanother object of the inventionto .produce series-connected envelopes with tuck-in flaps.

One known method of producing a conventional type of series-connected envelopes requires the applicationof an .adhesive on the flap portion while the strip material is being fed through the envelope forming machine. The instantseries-connected envelopes are produced by .a method-which involves theapplicationof the'fiap'adhesive to one of the strips'of-mate'rial prior'to' its'being rolledpreparatory to being fed into the envelope forming apparatus.

-Another.object of:;the;:in.ventionds tonutilize anmethod requiring. the .use ofz onexcontinuousz strip :1 ofcuncoated stock and one continuous strip 10f thermoplasticecoated stock -so as to, avoid :the -need i for: applying tan adhesive (other. than the. flap 1 adhesive): ;to-:. eitherk strip: fore-joining them in selected; areas to formz-thesenvelopes.

Itv is anotherobject tto:simpl'ify..tthe method oficonstruction of series-connectedzenvelopesrsoaasnto':makezfthem economical to manufacture: and convenient to ifeed through Writing for printingapparatus.

-With the foregoing androther'objectszin viewzwhi'chswill appear as the description-proceeds; the invention-consists of certain 1 novel features ;of construction, a arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter fully 'describedfillustrated in the accompanying; drawings, rand: particularly pointed out .in the appended=..nclaims, and in thevnov'el method of fabricatiom;itzzbeingczunderstood:thatevarious changes in the form; propcrtion, z-'size.aand;=minor details of the structure or variations 1in-rthe'- 'step-by-steptsequenee of the describedmethod may :be: madwwithout: departing from. the spirit; or- ;sacrificing;.any- Oi the advantagesmf the invention.

For the purpose;of.facilitatingzanzunderstanding' ofi my invention, Ia have illustrated; ainuthe; accompanying drawings a :prefer-redembodiment; thereof: fromwan inspection r of-whichwhen:considereddn: connection with the following':-description;.my, invention,-zits;me'thod of:construction,

manner of assemblyiand opera'tion,zand many aof its=adt vantages should berreadily understoodxandiiappreciated.

Referring .10. the idrawings .in nwhich :'the :same characters -ofreferencmare employed: :to; indicate-corresponding .or 1 similar; parts. throughout: theuseveralufigures of 'the drawings:

.- Fig. l isaperspective view illustratingithesteps of the method for I fabricating-z a;:zstrip;iassembly -.-of- :series-con- .nected. envelopes-having .tuckainuflaps.

.Figi Zis' a plan view. ofgaifragment-zof .a' strip of seriesconnected tenvelopes-xillustratmg rthe-sside' opposite tto the side shown-in Fig.3 1, .an'dtshov'ving the:.modeofseparaiticin ofthe envelopes and off the: marginal feed bands.

' Fig. .r 3.-;is =:a sectional 1' VifiWz'xOfQfiIli envelope, taken on line 33 of Fig. 2.

.Referringttof ;t-he-. accompanyjngcrdrawingi in detail, the

.Fig. .1 illustration:constitutesna 'symmetricuviewrrepre- 5 sen'tative. ofz the various; 'stepsof; the novel method-per- .formed during .the fabrication of a stripof seriesconnected enve1opes:from rollstock. -As -i'llustrated, =a roll of paper, stock 11, uncoated except fonthe presence 't thereonof;- stripwadhe'sive: on- :onexmargin: as indicated" at 12, and :inwardlyof '1 the :otherumar'gin ast indicatedat 13,, constitutes .one :strip :oft :the material used to make vup the envelope stn'p assembly. KThesstrip-adhesive n constitutes no' essential part of -the 'present method of 'i'fabricating series-connected z envelopes except that it balances .ormakes :uniform rolling of: the-:strip possible.

Were the strip adhesive;12-xomitted, ithe presence of the strip: adhesive 13 would cause'the roll I11 to assume a somewhat conical: shape zandthereby-prevent or at zleast impair its usefulnessninaan automaticallyifed envelope forming machine. The other: strip i 14 is initially contained in rolled-r form .asj'illustrated, and: {this sheet-preferably consists; of -..thermoplastic :coated material F for a purpose tobecome apparent asjthe description proceeds.

It is important 1 to ."note, e-however, that ijthe rdlled thermoplastic coated-s stripz14 is substantially less -in width than. the width of the striprof material "11. specifically, the; strip 14 is of'isuch-widththat When'one'ofits edges is arranged; in :marginal .alignment :with an= edgenofi the strip 11, its other edgeuterminatesinwardlyabfthe dd- :hesive 13 on -Fthe sst'rip 11. The -purpose -of"','this will "become 'apparent also as "the "description proceeds.

' In fabricating series-connected *envelopes, the strips tRa tentedwNzov. 2 1 c.1955

of material 11 and 14 are superposed one upon the other with one longitudinal edge of one of the strips in substantial marginal register with the edge of the other strip. The superposed strips are fed continuously through envelope forming apparatus and, inasmuch as such apparatus constitutes no part of the present invention, it is not illustrated with the exception of the heat sealing shoes constituting a part thereof and which will be described presently. As the strips of material advance into the envelope forming apparatus any printing which it may be desired to impress upon either or both of the strips 11 or 14 is imprinted at, for example, the position illustrated at 15 in Fig. 1.

As both strips continue to advance in unison through the envelope forming machine, they are intermittently engaged on opposite faces thereof with heat sealing shoes 16. Although opposed heat sealing shoes are illus trated, it is quite obvious that, in some apparatus, only one heat sealing shoe may be provided to operate in conjunction with an anvil arranged on the opposite side of the assembled strips passing through the machine. As shown, the pressing shoe or shoes 16 preferably is substantially L-shaped with its wide base 16 coincident with and parallel to the registering longitudinal margins of the strips 11 and 14. The other portion 16" of the pressing shoe extends transversely of the superposed strips and terminates in substantial alignment with the free edge 17 of the narrower of the two strips 11 and 14. The function and operation of the heat sealing shoe is well understood consequently, it is not believed that any detailed discussion of its operation and function need be entered into. In this connection, it is thought suflicient to note that when the heat sealing shoes 16, or when a heat sealing shoe and an anvil, are moved toward each other so as to press the intervening area of the superposed strips 11 and 14 tightly together the thermoplastic sheet is caused to adhere, in the area of the pressing shoe, to the uncoated sheet 11. Successive operations of the heating shoe and progression of the two strips through the envelope forming apparatus results in the formation of a series of clearly definable pockets each separated by a joined transverse area 18 of substantial width and a joined area 19 at the registering margins of said sheets. In other words, there is provided a series of envelopes securely sealed on three of their respective edges.

As the joined sheets 11 and 14 continue to advance through the envelope forming apparatus, a transverse row of perforations or weakened lines 21 is provided medially of each wide transverse joined area 18. This row of perforations extends across the entire width of assembled strips. At the time of running the row of perforations 21, or subsequent thereto, the margin of the wide sheet 11, which remains exposed because of the width of the underlying sheet 14, is suitably die-cut in the manner illustrated at 22. This die-cutting is performed along a substantially U-shaped configuration and its apex is in substantial register with the free edge 17 of the narrower strip 14. The side portions or legs 23 of the die-cut are spaced one on each side of the related row of transverse perforations a sufiicient distance to align with or be spaced inwardly from the edges of the joined transverse area 18 coincident with the line of perforations 21. Preferably the die-cutting is not continuous throughout its length but instead a small bridge or bridges is retained in the region of its apex to tie the die-cut portion to the body of the sheet 14. This die-cutting is perhaps best illustrated in Fig. 2, where it will be observed that the outline thereof is such that the area of the exposed marginal portion of the strip 11, between the legs 23 of adjacent die-cuts, constitutes a flap 24 having a length less than the width of the interior of the pocket or envelope 25.

The portion defined by the substantially U-shaped diecut is not removed from the strip of series-connected envelopes at any time while the strip assembly is moving through the forming or through the printing apparatus. Again referring to Fig. 1, it will be observed that the next step in the manufacture of the seriesconnected envelopes is to provide a row of longitudinally spaced punched openings 26 on the marginally joined edges and also to provide a series of longitudinally spaced punched openings 27 adjacent the free edge of the exposed marginal area of the strip 11. The punchings 26 and 27 constitute feed means to cooperate with pinned feed rollers on the printing or addressing machine in which the series-connected envelopes are to be used.

Following the performance of the punchings 26 and 27, a row of perforations 28 is performed adjacent to each edge of the strip assembly just inwardly of the punchings 26 and 27. These longitudinal rows of perforations constitute means to define marginal feed bands containing the punchings 26 and 27 which bands are readily removable when it is desired to separate the envelopes from the strip.

Owing to known irregularities in the width of a long strip of sheet material, it is necessary to trim the edges of the assembled series-connected envelope strip so that the finished product will be of uniform width and will feed into the printing or writing apparatus without impairing is utility thereof. Accordingly, the edges, indicated at 29 and 31, of the strip of series-connected envelopes are sheared or otherwise removed from the assembled strip. As a consequence, the assembled strip has a uniform width throughout its entire length. Following the shearing or trimming operation, the wider strip 11 may be scored, as at 32, in substantial register with the free edge 17 of the strip 14 and the assembled strip of seriesconnected envelopes may then be folded along the transverse lines of perforations into the fan-fold illustrated generally at 33.

The fan-folded strip of series-connected envelopes is now in condition to be fed into any writing or printing apparatus and it can be fed through such apparatus at a uniform rate of speed owing to the presence of the longitudinal spaced punchings or holes 26 and 27 provided therein. It is important to note that retention of the diecut areas within the assembled strip while said strip is being fed through a writing or printing apparatus insures trouble free feeding and prevents impairment of the operation of the writing or printing apparatus. This is because, were the die-cut areas removed prior to feeding the strip through the writing or printing apparatus, the then free side edges of the flaps 24 of each envelope would constitute a serious hazard to the feeding operation. It is only after the envelopes have been imprinted or otherwise provided with the required data on either or both faces thereof and have passed out of the apparatus that the feed bands containing the punchings 26 and 27 are separated from the strip of series-connected envelopes (Fig. 2) and die-cut areas are removed and the envelopes bursted one from the other along the weakened transverse lines of rows of perforations 21.

Still referring to Fig. 2, it will be observed that the flap 24 of the separated envelope has a length substantially less than the inside dimension of the envelope. As a consequence, said flap may be tucked into the envelope or it may be adhesively secured over the outside face of the side opposite to the side bearing the fiap 24.

It is believed that my invention, the method of construction and assembly, and many of the advantages of such method should be readily understood from the foregoing without further description, and it should also be manifest that while a preferred embodiment of a strip of series-connected envelopes has been shown and described for illustrative purposes, the structural details are, nevertheless, capable of variation within the purview of my invention as defined in the appended claim.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A continuous strip assembly of series-connected envelopes for use in a writing machine comprising, a pair of superposed strips of material longitudinally united one with the other along one margin of the assembly and further united one to the other on transverse longitudinally spaced narrow bands to form a succession of envelope pockets, one of said strips being narrower than the other to leave the margin of the wider strip exposed, said strip assembly having a longitudinal transverse line of weakening disposed medially of each narrow band, and detachable longitudinal marginal feed tracks on each edge of the assembly, the feed track adjacent the exposed margin having inward projecting portions detachable from the strip assembly with the adjacent feed track to define tuckin flaps between adjacent pairs of said projecting portions,

each projecting portion being bounded in said exposed margin by a generally U-shaped line of weakening disposed generally in transverse alinement with each of said longitudinally spaced narrow bands.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 699,875 Johnston May 13, 1902 2,342,702 Sherman Feb. 29, 1944 2,363,417 Heywood Nov. 21, 1944 2,464,490 Davies Mar. 15, 1949 2,474,775 Borchers June 28, 1949 2,508,962 Moore May 23, 1950 

